Moving with a chin

[T3hSheeplet]

I am interviewing for a job which I may have to relocate for, possibly several states away. I have a cat as well so I am already planning on driving if I have to move. I have traveled with my cat several times before and I know chins are even more prone to stress

Some specific questions I have are:
1.) What is a good travel carrier to purchase (just been using my cat's carrier for now but he will already be occupying it)
2.) What should he be kept in while staying in a hotel when we stop driving for the night. should I plan on bringing his cage in my car and assembling it when we stop or should I purchase a small temporary cage for this?

Could be lucky and get the position that is only four hours away just want to be as prepared as I can for the worst case of moving to a different state with a longer car ride!

Thanks in advanced!

 

[Katie95]

I travel with my chinchilla several times a year; I am a college student and when I visit home, I bring always him! The ride is only a five-six hour ride though (and only trips by car for us.. I refuse to ship him with the cargo! Delta has killed chinchillas that way!) A trip spanning several states would require more preparation, but I believe that it is doable. It would be best if you had another person traveling with you to keep an eye of your chin, but if not, I would suggest a large carrier for small animals. It's also a good idea to include something like a hand-towel incase he has to pee in the carrier, but you should stop and check on him like every couple of hours or so (sitting in anything wet will cause an infection). As you mentioned, they are prone to stress, so I would strongly recommend putting your chin back in his own cage when you stop at night! Good luck!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Chins actually do quite well when traveling. They Usually sleep the whole time. A good carrier is a must. You can actually keep them in the carrier overnight. Just make sure you offer food an water at every stop and keep them cool. You can put hay cubes and a chew toy in the carrier with them. Don't attach the water bottle to the cage and leave it there. It will leak with every bump in the road and your chin will get soaked. Last August, I moved 37 chinchillas in the back of my mother's van. We laid cooled floor tiles on the floor of the van and then set the cages on top of that. It was over 100 degrees for at least 1/2 of the drive (from Riverside, CA to Aurora, CO). all the chinchillas made it here just fine. the humans on the other hand were bushed. It took us 24 hours because the Uhaul truck with our furniture could only achieve 25 mph up the mountains.

 

[lightningturtle]

Dessy traveled in her little carrier from south Texas to Kentucky. She was upset the first hour she was in her little carrier, but then was pretty chill the rest of the trip. She ate and drank a bit less than usual, but otherwise showed no signs of stress. Every night we stopped at a hotel (we had to make a lot of stops for the dogs so it took longer then usual) I let her run around the bathroom. She seemed more keen on exploring the new bathrooms than she ever was back home or since we moved here!

I had a fleece blanket in her carrier with her, which she alternated between cuddling with and pushing it to the other side of the carrier. I also kept a fleece over the top of her carrier, occasionally letting the a/c re-chill the air under it. She had a lovely little pocket of cool air to hang out in, while we sweated (it was July)

 

[T3hSheeplet]

Thank you for the information so far! I am feeling better prepared, still no word yet on the job. I would like to purchase a carrier, can anyone give me feedback on any of these:

1.) sleepy pod (my cat has this one and the conversion kit seems chinchilla friendly with fleece in place of litter - thought the hammock might keep him cool) http://sleepypod.com/sleepypod-critterkit

2.) Hagen small animal carrier (not sure if it has enough ventilation? Certainly a cheaper option) http://www.petguys.com/hagen-living...aign=PetGuys&gclid=CKKN6bvY-MMCFQdhfgodQJoAIQ

3.) Metal Travel Carrier (seems the most durable and is reasonable priced) http://www.ryersonchinchilla.com/arc010009.jpg

 

[Chinmama]

The Ryerson carriers are nice, and you never have to worry about durability.

 

[lightningturtle]

Honestly the first two make me nervous. I would either go with the Ryerson or get a cavy carrier from quality cage. I have the latter and love it.
http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_35&products_id=835

 

[T3hSheeplet]

I ordered the Ryerson, can't wait for it to get here - no word yet on where I'd be moving just yet but at least I'll be ready. Thanks everyone!

 

[Shenanigans]

I definitely wouldn't go with the sleepy pod. I think a fabric carrier would get chewed and either ingested to cause issues or escaped from. Im not a fan of the living world one either- it says "Suitable for hamsters, gerbils, mice, and small rats" So not even large rats? I'm fussy and wouldnt want my chin in a plastic carrier for tat long, especially if its overnight. Ive heard wonderful things about both Ryerson's and Quality cage.
Metal does conduct heat very well, so be careful to keep the cage out of the sun while driving (which should be done anyways).